Cafe Ala Carte vs P.J.'s Coffee Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Cafe Ala Carte vs P.J.'s Coffee including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Cafe Ala Carte Franchise
P.J.'s Coffee Franchise
Investment $56,200 - $123,300$173,275 - $582,000
Franchise Fee $25,000$25,000 - $35,000
Royalty Fee 8-5%5%
Advertising Fee -2%
Year Founded 19961978
Year Franchised 20001989
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years +10 +10
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years +10 +10
Renewal Fee The then-current franchise fee-


Business Experience Requirements

 
Cafe Ala Carte Franchise
P.J.'s Coffee Franchise
Experience -A minimum of $75,000 in liquid capital (available cash) and at least $300,000 in net worth. In addition, you must be able to dedicate the necessary time to evaluate the franchise system with an executive in order to make a decision within four to eight weeks.

Financing Options

 
Cafe Ala Carte Franchise
P.J.'s Coffee Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/No-/-
Start-up Costs No/No-/-
Equipment No/Yes-/-
Inventory No/No-/-
Receivables No/No-/-
Payroll No/No-/-

Training & Support

 
Cafe Ala Carte Franchise
P.J.'s Coffee Franchise
Training -On-The-Job Training: 113 hours Classroom Training: 23 hours
Support Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, InternetPurchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Ad slicks Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
Operations Franchise can be run from home.

International franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 100% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 2

Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

The general operating hours of a PJ's Coffee are from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The average PJ's Coffee staff consists of 12 - 16 part-time employees total, with a minimum of two or three per shift.

Expansion Plans

 
Cafe Ala Carte Franchise
P.J.'s Coffee Franchise
US Expansion --
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion Yes-

Company Overviews

About Cafe Ala Carte

Since 1996, Cafe Ala Carte provides a unique service to the food and beverage industry by capitalizing on the popularity of specialty coffees. By creating a niche in this market, people are experiencing a new and exciting idea for their events. Most franchises are simply duplicated or reinvented ideas. But Cafe Ala Carte is among the first of its kind. Our system has proven successful, and allows us to capitalize on one of the world's fastest growing trends.

About P.J.'s Coffee

Founded in New Orleans, PJ's has been brewing it's distinguished brand of signature roasts for over 25 years. Our beans are hand-selected, hand-roasted and brewed to perfection. PJ's also offers breakfast selections and a variety of gourmet pastries and desserts.

The franchise fee is $30,000 for a single unit, $65,000 for three units and $100,000 for five units.
The franchise fee provides you with a license to operate a PJ’s, our assistance to help you open a location, access to our recipes, products, technology, training systems, operational structure, marketing programs, and more.

 We offer a Military Discount of 20% off the total franchise fee for qualified military candidates.

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